Ryan Garcia was over the light-welterweight limit and was not eligible to win the WBC title; watch Tyson Fury vs Oleksandr Usyk live on Sky Sports Box Office on May 18
Monday 22 April 2024 07:47, UK
Ryan Garcia secured a stunning upset over Devin Haney, knocking his fellow American down three times en route to a majority decision victory at the Barclays Center.
Garcia had missed the 10st (63.5kg) light-welterweight limit by 3.2lbs (1.45kg) so was not eligible to win the WBC title, while his recent erratic tweets and behaviour in fight week led many to question whether the contest should go ahead.
But Garcia floored his rival in the seventh, 10th and 11th rounds, enough to earn the nod from two judges by scores of 115-109 and 114-110 while a third saw it 112-112 in Brooklyn.
Garcia, who had a point deducted in the seventh for punching on the break, has now won 25 of his 26 bouts and two in a row since his only professional defeat to Gervonta 'Tank' Davis 12 months ago.
Haney, the former undisputed world lightweight champion who won a 140lb title with a dominant points win over Regis Prograis in December, slipped to his first defeat in 32 fights.
"Come on, guys, you really thought I was crazy? You all lost your own minds," Garcia said in his post-fight interview. "You guys overegg everything."
Haney said he was disappointed with his performance.
"But I showed that I can fight after a knockdown and getting hurt," he added.
"I would love a rematch. I gave him a shot, it's only right he gives me a shot back. He didn't make weight, so I'm still the champion. We can run it back."
Watch Fury vs Usyk live on Sky Sports Box Office on May 18.
Stream Sky Sports live with no contract on a Month or Day membership on NOW. Instant access to live action from the Premier League and EFL, plus darts, cricket, tennis, golf and so much more.
You can now receive messages and alerts for the latest breaking sports news, analysis, in-depth features and videos from our dedicated WhatsApp channel. Find out more here...
